Psych Intro PDF

Psych Intro Normal VS Abnormal Think of bell curve or 'normal' curve Normal - Statistically - Not sick - Healthy (within normal limits) Abnormal - DMS- IV - Personality disorders - Forensic (criminal, perverted, bad 'evil') Chapter 1 What is personality psychology? The scien...

Psych Intro Normal VS Abnormal Think of bell curve or 'normal' curve Normal - Statistically - Not sick - Healthy (within normal limits) Abnormal - DMS- IV - Personality disorders - Forensic (criminal, perverted, bad 'evil') Chapter 1 What is personality psychology? The scientific study of what makes us who we are and the environmental and genetic factors that make us that way The Barnum Effect - The tendency to believe in the accuracy of vague generalities about one's personality MMPI- a test that measures personality traits and mental health issues (self-report measure) Ex, Horoscopes The concepts of Reliability and Validity Evaluation of personality - Used for diagnosis, education, counseling, and research Principles of measurement - Reliability: consistency of response to a psychological assessment device - Validity: Extent to which an assessment device measures what it is indented to measure (measuring what it says its measuring) Types of Assessments - Self-report - Projective techniques - Clinical interviews - Behavioural observations - Experience sampling Objective vs subjective (based on own perceptions) **Personality Disorders:** What is personality? What is a trait Flexible (able to adjust and adapt to changing environment around you) vs inflexible ( less flexibility) Healthy vs Unhealthy coping Relationship challenges **The Extremes of the Continuum** Where does your personality come from Genes - Temperament Environment - Childhood - Family Temperament and Personality How stable is early temperament - Positive emotionality - Negative emotionality (unhappy, discontent, doesn't matter what you do not happy) Range of Human personality The best - Big 5 conscientiousness - Big 5 agreeableness The worst - Psychopathy - Lacking conscience Personality is our unique way of thinking Personality disorders Extremely inflexible personality traits that deviate markedly from the cultural norms and expectations 10 personality disorder clusters Cluster A (odd/eccentric) - Paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal Cluster B (dramatic/erratic) (wild cluster) - Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic Cluster C (anxious/fearful) - Avoidant, dependant, obsessive-compulsive Paranoid personality disorder is extreme suspicion Schizoid personality disorder - Detached from social relationships - No desire Schizotypal personality disorder - Hyposensitive to criticism Avoidant Personality Disorder - Avoid social relationships BUT want them - Low self esteem - Sensitive to other opinions - Fear of rejection - Interpersonally anxious - Reject attention they crave - Pessimistic about their future Dependant Personality Disorder - Feel inadequate - Cling to relationships - Submissive, timid, and passive - Sensitive to criticism - Need reassurance Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder - Perfectionism - Rigidity - Poor interpersonal relationships - Quest for perfectionism - (close mindedness) - Preoccupied with doing things the right way Psychopath - Lacks conscience APD is NOT psychopathy Psychopathy is NOT APD Factor 1 (more associated with psychopathy) Factor 2 (more associated with antisocial personality disorder) Borderline Personality Disorder - Extreme fear of abandonment - Unstable moods - Poor self-image - Suicide risk (10% morality) (related to mood) - Impulsivity (drug abuse) unstable behaviour - Self-mutilation (cutting) - UBC - Link between borderline personality disorder and intimate partner violence in men - Argued its b/c Most common form of domestic violence 50% bilaterial 35% women, non- violent male Histrionic Personality Disorder - Self centred - Vain - Seek constant reassurance - Impulsive - Extravagant - Seductive NPD (narcissistic personality disorder) - Pervasive pattern of grandiosity in fantasy or behaviour - Need for admiration - Lack empathy - Entitlement - Arrogance - Failure of empathetic mirroring from parents - Fixated at self-centred Narcissistic personality disorder - Think they deserve special treatment "I'm different" - Unreasonable sense of self-importance, grandiosity (charming) - Lack compassion for others Malignment (danger) **The Life of Freud** (psycho analytic theories) Born in Freiberg, Moravia Father was a strict authoritarian Mother was extremely protective and loving Possessed a high degree of self- confidence and an intense ambition to succeed Explored and published an article about the benefits of cocaine Worked as a clinical neurologist Studied with Charcot Odd states of mind, cloudy thoughts Physical health concerns Fear of dying Self-diagnosis Anxiety neurosis and neurasthenia Projective Tests: (more subjective, quantitative) - Rorschach Inkblot Technique - Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) - Word association - Sentence completion Interpretation is subjective - Reliability and validity (conclusions are mixed) - Low when used for diagnostic purposes (e.g. Inter scorer reliability often Clinical Interviews - Qualitative data - Lacks quantitative data - Past and present life experiences - Social and family relationships - \* Free will - Choice - Early childhood Latin- underlying meaning/interpretation Manifest- The ID - Aspect of personality allied with insticts - "The beast within" - Doesn't have any sense Ego - Reality principle - Rational master of the personality - "what's the consequences" Consists of two components - Ego control - Ego resiliency Open Minded and Growth Oriented- mindset easier to change Most assumptions of preliminary definition of personality A person behaves consistently from one situation to the next Prediction Past behaviour is a good prediction of future behaviour George Foreman In 70's Constantly angry and depressed Subconscious slightly above the unconscious mind Freudian Slips - What appears to be casual lapse speech is a reflection of unconscious motives or anxieties - Ex; "id like to spank all teachers" instead of "I'd like to thank all teachers" Catharsis - Physical expression of an emotion by recalling a traumatic event - (acting out aggression on a substitute ex; pillow) - Not supported by research Freudian slips - Occurs when Criticisms of Freuds Theory - Too bleak/deterministic - Hi research doesn't meet acceptable standards of science (biased sample) Levels of Awareness - Conscious Limited aspect of personality Only a small portion of our thoughts are in our conscious awareness at any one time (tip of the ice berg) - Preconscious Storehouse from which memories and thoughts can be drawn - Unconscious The part of the mind and the self that one is not aware of but drives behaviour What if Games Are Like Icebergs? - AOE Counseling Ego- has you sacrificing, seeks pleasure in a smart way, operates on reality  ID - Primitive/ unconscious / basic drives - (its all about me) Two Type of Instincts - Libido aka eros (life, survival) - Thanatos (death) Libido: Drives a person toward pleasurable behaviours and thoughts Cathexis: Investment of psychic energy in an object or person Death Instinct: Thanatos Unconscious drive toward decay, destruction, and aggression Aggressive drive: Compulsion to destroy, conquer, and kill Eros/Thanatos Misconception- people are generally aware of the factors that influence their behaviour Anxiety - Objectless fear - Neurotic and psychotic behaviour - Birth Trauma - When we cannot cope with anxiety it is said to be traumatic Conflicts Threaten the Ego - Reality Anxiety: fear of tangible dangers - Neurotic Anxiety: Conflicts between id and ego - Moral Anxiety: Conflicts between id and superego Purpose of Anxiety Signals a problem with personality Alerts the individual that the ego is being threatened Induces tension in the individual -Becomes a drive the individual is motivated to satisfy Protections of the ego include -Runaway from the threat \- Inhibit the impulsive need -Obey the dictates of the conscience Defense Mechanisms Anxiety- the basis for all defense mechanisms Identification- bolstering self esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group (fromms automation conformity) - Attempts to make yourself feel important by driving a European sports car, belonging to an exclusive tennis club Projection - Attribute or "project" Displacement - Taking out your frustrations on objects Sublimation - A defense mechanism - Linked to artistic endeavors - Transformation of dangerous urgers into positive Regression In children - Most easily seen in kids - Weaned child may return to breasts In adults Rationalization - Behaviours driven by internal unconscious motives Repression - Pushes threatening thoughts back into the unconscious mind - Ego pushes threatening thought back into unconscious Denial - Refusal to acknowledge anxiety provoking stimuli Internal Conflict Reality, Neurotic, Moral Why? - Challenges from outer environment - Challenges from inner urges - Conflicts with those close to us - Threats to our Self esteem Anxiety and Defense Mechanisms - Minimize anxiety Reaction Formation - Process of pushing away threatening impulses - Overemphasizing Projection - Attribute or "project" Displacement- taking out your frustrations on objects or people that are less threatening that those who provoked you Defense Mechanisms In Psychology Explained (+ Examples) Freuds Stages of Psychosexual Development  Castration Anxiety Oedipus Complex - Castration anxiety Electra Complex Karen Horney -